LONDON: King Charles III will revealhis personal tax billin a bid to improve transparency, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday, as royal finances come under increasingpublicscrutinyinBritain.
British monarchs are legally exempt from paying certain taxes, though they have paid some duties voluntarily for decades.
They also have no obligation to disclose their private tax bills, but recent scandals surrounding the disgraced former prince Andrew MountbattenWindsor have thrust the royal family’s finances into the spotlight.
Charles began releasing his personal tax information when he washeir to the throne, but will become the first monarch to disclose it.
‘The decision to do so as Sovereign has come at the express wish of the King himself,’ a palace spokesperson said in a statement released on Saturday to a limited number of British media outlets.
It added that the move was ‘part of the adaptations carried across’ since Charles acceded to the throne in 2022.
‘Our aim is to explain all elements of royal finances in a way that further enhances clarity and accessibility, while also placing it in its historical and constitutional context.
‘To put it simply: we continue tomodernise and evolve.’ Charles’s tax information will be shared on Thursday as part of the release of annual royal financial accounts, the BBC reported.
Varied income Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic called for independent authorities to audit and disclose royal tax and income, saying Charles’s voluntary disclosure decision ‘leaves many unanswered questions’ ‘The royals can’t be allowed to self-declare their tax,’ its head Graham Smith said in a statement.-AFP